I Can Explain Santa
by TRUMAN'S SHELL
Summary: Neal gets caught before stealing a Renoir on orders from the Dutchman. Warning: Spanking of an adult


Title: I Can Explain, Santa

Author: Truman's Shell

Beta: No Beta this time, so please forgive my mistakes

Characters/Pairings: Peter, Neal

Scenario: Neal gets caught before stealing a Renoir on orders from the Dutchman.

Implement: Paddle

Neal knew today was the day. If he did this one last job, he and Peter would finally be free from the Dutchman. He had waited for weeks for the Christmas Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and to sweeten the deal Peter was occupied helping El with something for her business. So he wouldn't have the Suit breathing down his neck and could focus on stealing the Renoir.

Jones shook his head as Neal walked into the museum. Peter had told him specifically that he couldn't go to the exhibit because of his history with Raphael's paintings. His biggest wonder was if he should drag the kid out or let him have his fun? Well he sure as hell wasn't having fun sitting in the car, so that meant Neal was leaving.

"FBI," Jones said flashing his badge at the door.

"Is everything ok?"

"It will be once I remove the art thief that you just let in," Jones said with a smile.

Neal sighed when he saw Jones. He really thought he was in the clear today. Why was Jones here? Peter probably thought he needed a babysitter. If he was honest with himself he did.

"Neal, let's go," Jones said taking Neal's arm.

Neal was quiet until they got into the car and noticed Jones wasn't taking him home.

"Where are we going?"

"To see Peter."

"Jones, you don't have to tell Peter."

"If I want to keep my job I do."

"Come on Jones, Diana wouldn't turn me in."

Jones didn't even dignify that with a response. Neal knew damn well that Diana would turn him in in a heartbeat.

"So where are we headed?" Neal sighed resigned to his fate.

"Children's Museum."

Once there, Jones led Neal into the main area, where there was a winter wonderland set up, complete with Santa sitting in the middle.

Neal had to hold back a laugh, when he saw who Santa was that was until he got the two finger signal telling him to get his ass over there.

The little boy on Peter's lap finished telling him what he wanted for Christmas and Peter stood up so they could take this somewhere quiet.

"Mama, Santa's leaving," a little girl cried breaking down into sobs.

"I'll be right back, promise," Peter said looking at the sobbing little girl. "I just have to deal with this naughty boy."

"He's been naughty?"

"Yes."

"Are you gonna put him in timeout?" another child asked.

"That sounds like a good idea."

"But I can explain, Santa," Neal said not wanting to sit waiting for Peter to finish and that was exactly what this timeout would be.

"After your timeout," Peter said smiling at the blush on Neal's face.

Neal sat down on the empty bench that Peter was pointing to and wondered how long he was in timeout for. After thirty minutes a little boy around seven walked over and sat down next to him.

"I'm Zach."

"Neal."

"Are you still in timeout?"

"I guess so."

"You've been here for forever."

"I know," Neal sighed.

"Is Santa your Dad?"

"Kind of."

"Must be nice to have Santa for a Dad."

"Yep he's the best, even when he's mad at me," Neal admitted.

"My Dad's cool too, even though he isn't around a lot," Zach said.

"Who's your Dad?"

"He's right there," Zach said pointing towards a man with black hair. Neal gasped when the man turned around. "He says he knows you."

"Yeah he does," Neal said getting up.

"Neal, you can't get outta timeout or you'll get in big trouble with Santa."

"I can explain why to Santa later."

"Where are you going?"

"To see your Dad."

"I can get him for you so you don't get in trouble," Zach said getting up and running to his Dad.

"Hello Neal, Zach says you're and timeout so you have to sit here," Curtis Hagen said with a smile. "Didn't get caught doing something naughty did you?"

"Yes I was somewhere that I wasn't supposed to be."

"See luv, you always need to listen to your Daddy or you get in trouble," Hagen said putting his hand on his son's shoulder. "It's called being responsible. Neal has to be more responsible or he'll get into even more trouble. He better start listening too because Santa isn't a patient man and he might even get his friends into trouble if he doesn't."

Neal took the veiled threat at face value.

"Don't worry I'll start listening soon."

"Good, come on luv, I promised to take you to the art exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Wish you weren't in time out, because we would love for you to join us."

"Me too, but I'll get there soon."

"I hope so, because I wouldn't want you to miss it."

"I won't."

Peter watched as Neal and the Dutchman had a conversation. He hoped Neal would tell him what was going on, but knew the boy tended to talk in circles when he was in trouble.

Neal sat there for another hour waiting for Peter to finish playing Santa Claus. It wasn't too bad. After Hagen's kid visited other kids came over to talk, El even stopped by to drop off a plate.

"You're staying at our place tonight," El said.

"I have…"

"No, you don't know how to listen, so you are staying at our house until you tell Peter the truth."

"It's dangerous for Peter to know the truth."

"It's dangerous for him not to know too. Trust him Neal."

"But he doesn't trust me," Neal whined.

"For good cause and you know it. I'm getting back to work. Be good."

Neal watched as Peter got up after talking to the last kid of the night and walk to the bathroom. His stomach started doing flip flops. He knew better than to disobey Peter, but he also knew that disobeying the Dutchman wasn't a good idea. Peter might get angry, but the Dutchman could kill them or put Peter back in prison. He would go too, but he wasn't doing this to keep himself out of jail. He wasn't going to allow Peter go down for something his father did.

The first part of the trip was deathly quiet. Finally Peter said,

"Let's go. El said she told you that you were staying the night?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, I didn't want to argue about that too," Peter said as he stopped at June's house.

Peter escorted Neal up the stairs. The second the door opened Mozzie started talking,

"That took forever. I was starting to… Hi Suit."

"Mozzie, what took forever?"

"Neal was uh," Mozzie looked at Neal begging for help.

"Visiting the museum," Neal said nodding his head.

"Right visiting the museum. Get your stuff," Peter growled.

"I'll just go," Mozzie said walking out the door.

Neal could barely breathe by the time they reached Peter and El's place. El had picked up dinner and was setting the table.

"Go put your stuff away and get ready for dinner."

Neal did as he was told, still trying to come up with a half-truth to tell Peter about why he was talking to the Dutchman and why he was in the museum after Peter had specifically told him not to go there.

Neal walked into the dining room and wasn't shocked when El and Peter stopped talking.

"Why don't you boys talk while I take Satchmo for a walk, we can eat after," El said grabbing her coat and Satchmo. "Remember what I said Peter."

"I will. Take a seat Neal."

Neal did as he was told.

"Why did you go there?" Peter asked.

"I had something to take care of."

"Were you casing the joint?"

"No," Neal was happy that he was actually there to steal the painting because he hated lying to Peter's face.

"Does it have something to do with the Dutchman?"

"Peter, I can't talk about it," Neal said.

"You better talk about it. The Dutchman was at my wife's party and I want to know why."

"He was taking his son to see Santa."

"So the little boy was Hagen's kid?"

"Yes."

"Great now you're going to protect the guy so you can protect the kid," Peter said throwing his hands in the air.

Neal just sighed in return.

"Since you don't trust me enough to tell me the truth, I guess we'll just get on with your punishment," Peter said.

"Peter, it's not that I don't trust you, I'm trying to protect you and El."

"I'm an FBI agent I can take care of myself."

"Not against Hagen. I'm doing this to keep you safe."

"You understand that I'm doing this to keep you safe."

"I know Peter, but I really wish you wouldn't."

"What is our arrangement?"

"That if I do something wrong, you um well spank me, so that I'll think twice before doing something again."

"Why?"

"Because you and El are my family and you don't want to visit me behind bars."

"That's right, so let's get this over with. El will be back before we know it."

Peter took off his belt before sitting down and motioning for Neal to go across his knees. Neal knew the routine and took down his pants and allowed Peter to guide him into place.

Neal gasped when Peter's hard hand fell upon his boxer briefs. He honestly didn't know if the embarrassment, the pain, or Peter's disappointment was the worst part of the punishment. Sure Peter never teased him about a punishment and no one except El knew how Peter punished him, so the embarrassment wasn't too bad, well except for when he begged Peter to stop. The pain sucked and it was getting worse with each swat. He also saw Peter had taken off his belt so he was going to get a few swats with it at least. He started wiggling hard trying to dodge the swats that were heating up his backside. Even with that Neal felt the worst part of the spanking was knowing that Peter was disappointed enough to spank him.

"You're getting ten with the belt Neal," Peter said.

"No…please…Peter."

"You're not going to jail and I know you were going to do something illegal today, Jones just stopped you before you got a chance."

"I'm…sorry," Neal cried.

"I know," Peter said dropping the belt on what Peter knew was a bright red ass. One thing was for sure Neal was not sitting down comfortably for a couple of days. His only hope was that it would make Neal reconsider doing whatever illegal thing he was about to do.

Once the spanking was over Peter helped Neal with his pants and pulled him into a strong hug. Once he was done crying, Peter said,

"Please stay out of trouble and do as you're told."

Neal just nodded his head into Peter's chest and said,

"I'll try."

"I guess that's all I can ask for. Come on the Yankee's are on. We can watch until El gets back."

"Great just great," Neal said rolling his eyes.

The next morning a sore Neal walked into his apartment and saw Mozzie sitting there drinking a mimosa.

"Does the suit suspect anything?" Mozzie asked.

"Yes, so we have to be careful."

"Neal, we can't do this if the suit knows."

"We have to I got a visit from the Dutchman while waiting for Peter to finish being Santa Claus..."

"Wait the Suit was Santa Claus?"

"Yes, it was cute. You know how stiff he is."

"And the Dutchman dared to come there?"

"Yeah, he brought his kid to be safe," Neal said shaking his head.

"That Dutchman has a kid?"

"Yes Mozzie," Neal said with annoyance.

"Wow, who knew. Anyway if we're going to do this we have to have the perfect plan pretty quick or the suit will find out."

"Well let's get to work because the last thing I want is Peter ever finding out about this," Neal said rubbing his butt gently think that the spanking and disappointment would be more than he could handle.


End file.
